Special Report! San Pedro Prison, Bolivia

Well if you hadn’t already guessed, I’m no crack reporter! The legends and rumours about how\if you can visit this place are almost as great as those about the place itself. 1200 crazed, dangerous murderers and thugs (and their families) in a self governing, lawless no mans land. San Pedro Prison is infamous the world over (bbc link, wikipedia link ). Like the San Cristobal nunnery in Arequipa it’s a self contained city within a city but that’s pretty much where the similarity ends. The nuns, I’m sure, would never consider setting up what, combined together, amounts to the biggest single cocaine factory in the world for example. Making up their own rules, own hierarchy and dishing out their own punishments is one thing the nuns and criminals do have in common though.

For info on how to get in see the bottom of this post.

I’ve no great experience of prisons, the last one was terrible (only kidding!) but walking into this one was not quite what I’d imagine those residing at her majesty’s pleasure in the UK would expect.

At the entrance we were confronted with a throng of arms and heads pushing and shoving through the bars. The front entance and square is the only place where you’ll see police, they rarely, if ever venture past the front gate. The guards you might see elsewhere, armed with sticks and batons are prisoners paid by each section boss (also a criminal of course) from the vast untaxed internal economy. On the way through we got a number penned onto our arms with felt tip. Dont get it rubbed off! There is a metal detector but if it’s plugged in I’d be very surprised. These people need guns and knives you know! Putting a working metal detector there would be very unsporting! With a metal cased camera, belt and pocket full of change I got in OK. Past here, the outside world might as well be 1000 miles away.

The first square is where we picked up our guide and “security”. Just like the outside world there are a lot of professions here and being a guide is probably one of the more lucrative ligitimate ones. Our guide had been caught trafficing cocaine to Holland, he was Portugese and spoke four languages. Although rare, there is a population of foreign inmates. Our three security were Bolivian, also in for drugs. Their job was to make sure no one came too close and they milled around infront and behind us, posing for pictures and generally being very nice. A couple we’d met in Peru last year had been here and their security had had to punch some people here and there so we were glad of their company.

When a prisoner is sent here, they have to cough up and buy their cell. If you have no money you’d better find some quickly. The prison is separated into sections based on the cost of the “accommodation”.

The best cells are about US$500 and are furnished with whatever you can get in (which is anything at all really). If you’ve got nothing, you’re in for a pretty horible time and this is what you can expect…

 

Although there is a communal kitchen, you only go there if you’re really really poor. Why would you go there when there’s such a selection of restaurants and shops! I’ll post some pics up here soon but this really is a whole town within a town.

The stairs up to this cell where the wife toils away….

The outside world is only a wall away, but people don’t always want to leave!

Coca Cola supplies chairs and tables and makes sure they are the “drink of choice”

 

The infamous punishment pool

The view from the roof. I’ve not dont this place justice so might write some more later. Or, probably a better idea, check out the BBC link at the top of the page for a much better reoprt!

 

 

The “tour” ended in the cell the book “Marching Powder” was written in and finally by being asked how much cocaine we’d like to buy.

 

 

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How to get in to prison. It’s easy if you know how of course but I couldn’t find any info about doing this at all. Our guidebook didn’t help and a scan of the internet just returned scare stories as usual and pretty much nothing helpful eg. a map of how to get there. The prison wasn’t even on our tourist map. Here are the answers to the questions I had anyway…

• Where is the prison? If it’s not marked on your map explicitly, look for San Pedro Square. The wall makes up one side of the square and the entrance will be obvious.
• How much is it? We paid 300 Bolivianos but you can get it for 250. On top of that you should put some aside for the guide and what can be a pretty large “security” entourage you gather on the way around (we really warmed to ours and were a bit annoyed we didn’t bring more cash in)
• Is there an offical tour? No. Depending on where you ask, the answer may be “Yes” though but it isn’t. One tour company (Coca Tours) has a “contact” and will make sure you get in but will take commission.
• Can you just turn up at the gate and get in? A scan of the internet will turn up loads of stories of people being scammed, paying money to random people who then dissapear, never to be seen again. Everyone we spoke to got in by simply turning up and waiting around outside though. There was a little kiosk selling sweets and drinks outside, if you have the Spanish, maybe asking there who is a real contact would help. Otherwise try Coca Tours.
• Can you take a camera in? Can you take pictures? Officially no. No problem getting a camera in through the “metal detector” though. The guide will tell you it’s OK to take pictures if you pay a “tax”. That tax goes nowhere except his pocket of course. The reality is that if any police find you taking pictures they will confiscate the camera, so basically no pictures of the front gate! Otherwise I’ve never seen people more eager to have their picture taken anywhere! That’s why I have no problem publishing these pics here.